knitting sounds

Using contact mics, knitting needles, a Max patch and a hand-tracking software, this performance utilizes the act of knitting and synthesizes that into sound creation. The piece takes the act of knitting and not only amplifies the sounds within that craft, but transforms them into an ambient sound-world of partials, harmonics, and the rhythmic clang of knitting needles hitting one another. It’s both sonically and visually immersive due to the performance's utilization of Monica Lim's software, Handmate MIDI. The software allows for the transformation of physical movement to MIDI information. These visuals, which can be seen in the attached video, are projected in the performance, giving the audience insight as to what exactly is producing sound (both the MIDI hand-tracking and contact mic pickup can be seen in the projection.)

In the theoretical sense, this piece is a commentary on the micro-burdens placed on women every day, specifically concerning the gaze placed upon their creativity and passions. Art created by women is often perceived as “crafts” and “hobbies,” while men have the luxury of creating works that are viewed as serious art. This unfair, all-too-common perspective limits women in creative fields, and is a symptom of a larger societal problem: the flippant regard of women and their value(s).